CA1170629A - Food package and storage unit - Google Patents

Abstract

ABSTRACT

A food package and storage unit including a box, a tray having an opening at the top adapted to be readily slid into and out of one end of the box and a flexible separator sheet interleaved among food items positioned in the tray.

Description

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FOOD PACKAGE AND STORAGE UNIT

BACKGROUND ART
Prior packaging and storing arrangements have included a box and try combination for food items, for example as shown in U. S. Patent No. 3,671,271. However, prior packages including a box and tray have not been satisfactory for use in handling a plurality of food items which require separation, reduced air exposure and ease of removal of some items prior to restorage of remaining items.
Other food item packages have proposed the use of separation layers as disclosed in U. S. Patent No. 1,773,080 but these packages have failed to provide ease of removal of items and restorage of remaining food items.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Broadly, the present invention is a food package and storage 20 unit comprising a substantially rigid box enclosure, a tray slidably positionable within the enclosure, a plurality of food items in the tray and a flexible separator sheet having a plurality of sections, said sheet being interleaved among the food items so that a section of the sheet separates the 25 food item from the box, from the tray and from each other food item. The unit is especially effective in packaging portions of fish or meat, typically in an amount for individual consumption, in stacked relationship.

30 It is a feature of the unit that upon removal of one or more food items the remaining food items can be stored in the tray.
The tray may be used alone or in combination with the box during restorage by the consumer of the food items.

35 It is also a feature of the unit that each food item is pro-tected against contact with the tray and the box during trans-port and storage.

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DESCRIPT~ON OF THE INVENTION

Fig. 1 is perspective view of the unit with the tray with-drawn from the box and the food items and separator sheet shown in a partially e~ploded view.

Fig. 2 is a section view of the assembled unit taken transverse to the longitudinal axes of sides of the box.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, box 10, having top panel 11, bottom panel 12, longitudinal side 13, opposite longitudinal side 14, a closed end 15 (not totally shown) and a closable end 16, is proportioned to receive and house a tray 17.
Preferably, tray 17 fits into box 10 with little or no clearance to prevent movement of the tray in the box during handling. During assembly of the unit in the food processing plant, tray 17 is inserted into box 10, flaps 18, 19, 20 and 21 at the closable end are folded shut and suitably sealed to 20 prevent tray 17 from sliding out during subsequent handling and storage.

Tray 17, which is preferably made of a transparent or translu-cent material such as plastic to reveal in whole or in part its contents, has rim 22, sloping sides and ends 23 with rounded corner portions 24 between them and, finally, a generally flat bottom 25. The sides and ends 23 provide the tray with sufficient depth to accommodate a plurality of stacked portions to food. Tray 17 is open at the top and pre-30 ferably sufficiently rigid to be self-supporting when filled with product and held by one hand. Tray 17 is also preferably fabricated of one piece of impervious material, or if made of plurality of pieces the pieces are joined so that the tray is capable of holding liquids without leakage.

Turning to Fig. 1, tray 17 is shown with a plurality of food items and a sheet 27 interleaved back and forth over and ! ~,,,,, ~

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under individual food items (view of the food items and sheet 27 is partially exploded to show their relationship) Food items may be filets of fish, meat portions or other food portions that are packaged, transported and stored.
The food items are illustrated by the identifying indicia 26a, 26_, 26c and 26d.

Sheet 27 is preferably one continuous piece of material but 10 may be divided into portions. Each sheet or portion provides sections as it is folded. Sheet 27 is positioned with an end section 27a under food item 26a; a second sheet section 27b is folded over the top of food item 26a to separate food item 26a from food item 26b packaged above it. Succeeding sections 27c-d of sheet 27 are similarly folded back and forth between stacked food items 26b-d (see also Fig. 2). Sheet 27 is preferably made of a translucent material which does not adhere unnecessarily to the food items and aids in preventing air from reaching the food items.
The package unit of the present invention is particularly useful for food items that are restoraged in a freezer or under refrigeration after first being opened by the consumer. The remaining contents can be readily held in the tray alone or 25 in the tray and box combination as described. The folded sheet helps retain freshness of the food items during restorage.

Claims (3)

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1, A food package and storage unit comprising in combination a substantially rigid, outer enclosure and an opentopped tray slidably positionable within the enclosure and slidably removable from the enclosure for use as a storage container separate and apart from the enclosure, the tray having a dimension at least entirely around the opening to provide a close fitting engagement with the enclosure to prevent movement when the tray is so positioned, a plurality of food items positioned in the tray, each food item being substantially coextensive in size with the opening and located in stacked arrangement, and flexible separator means comprising an elongated sheet juxtaposed a bottom surface of the tray and interleaved back and forth among the food items so that a section of the sheet is disposed over and under each food item to separate each food item either from the enclosure, from the tray, or from each other food item.

2. The unit of claim 1 in which the tray is made of a transparent plastic material.

3. The unit of claim 1 in which the tray has sufficient depth to house a plurality of stacked portions of fish.